Egypt Daily News – The Israeli security cabinet has decided to maintain the presence of Israeli soldiers in the Philadelphi axis, a strategic region located 14 kilometers south of the Gaza Strip along the Egypt border.
This decision is tied to ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and the potential release of hostages. However, both Egypt and Hamas have expressed strong opposition to the deployment of Israeli forces in this area, with Egypt citing concerns over a breach of their peace treaty and Hamas firmly rejecting the presence.
The cabinet’s vote resulted in eight members in favor, one against (Defense Minister Yoav Galant), and one abstention (National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir).
Officials from the meeting indicated that this stance reinforces the notion to Hamas that they need to make concessions regarding the Philadelphi axis in order to move towards an agreement.
Additionally, preliminary reports during the meeting suggested that a majority of the hostages had likely been killed shortly after the events of October 7, rather than in more recent months.
This revelation drew criticism from the Forum for Families of Israeli Hostages, which accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of obstructing progress towards a resolution. In contrast, a smaller group of hostage families, the Tikva Forum, supported the cabinet’s decision, viewing the military’s intensified presence in the Philadelphi axis as a crucial strategy to pressure Hamas into facilitating the return of all hostages.
